He Lies Within the Sea (eremika)

Chapter Seven

Winter break had begun in a cold, coastal town that flourished most in the spring and summer months. During the winter, there wasn't ever really a snowy day, but the town was quiet and had a slight somber feel to it. The streets, aside from driving cars, were empty with little to no citizens wandering about. The sounds of the sea's waves crashing against rock and shore could lull any who lived near to sleep, and Mikasa was one of those people.

She found the sea calming, albeit terrifying. The sound of the breeze sending large ripples across the shore and splashing water on solid rock was what calmed her, but the unknown of the sea-what was lying within- and the creatures that roamed its depths were another thing. Of course, she trusted mermaids, found them fascinating, but what terrified her about the sea was something that terrified an ordinary person. What terrified her about the sea, truly, was something she did not even know. Her legs froze and shook at the sight of the sea, starting to buckle, and her heart thumped to the beat of an invisible drum, quickly. She found breathing difficult when faced with her fear, and while it was normally possible to overcome it, even a little, enough to stand near it for a time, she preferred otherwise.

Mikasa had an irrational, strange fear of the sea whereas Eren lived in the sea. He was born in the dark depths of the bottom of the sea, and he thrived there along with all other sea life that flourished. The town of the sea in which he lived was a relatively small one, especially when compared to the great royal capital, but he enjoyed it. The swish of the fish as they passed through the sea roads and the rippled glow of the sun shining through the sea was an everyday sight (except cloudy days), and Eren felt comfort in the water, but the idea of the land had always called to him, always compelled him to explore-curiosity could be a dangerous thing, really. He made an agreement with his family: You may attend school on the land, but you cannot reveal your secret. They can never know the truth, for it would mean his death.

Eren followed the rule obediently, swearing to keep his secret, but because he was so good at playing human, he got too comfortable. He was so used to it being a secret in the world of the land that when he finally got caught, he realized his foolishness, yet he still acted a fool. He loved the look in Mikasa's eyes when she saw his shimmering scales under the comfort of the sea. He loved it so much that he didn't even realize it wasn't the look in the girl's eyes but the girl herself. 

Winter break had begun in the cold, coastal town, and Mikasa found what was normally a dull time full of boredom and longing stares out of the window- since she truly had nothing to do these days- had suddenly turned around. She found that her days were preoccupied with a boy whose name she used to hear but never acknowledge. She found that her once empty days were being filled with the presence of the sea boy who could sprout a tail upon being embraced by water of all sorts- even water with chlorine in it. 

Mikasa had found the cave a pretty and interesting sight, but the unwanted thrill passing through her bones whenever she got near the sea was enough to deter her from trying to see it again, but Eren persisted in convincing her until she gave in. He believed it was because he liked the look of intrigue Mikasa got whenever she saw his tail, but he didn't even know the actual truth. He just wanted to spend a lot of time with her. As much as he could.

They hadn't gone in the cave just yet when Mikasa said,

"Let's just stay out in the sun," she suggested. The truth was that the darkness of the cave amplified the fear, and she had only been able to bear it the previous time because the initial awe of the place, but she was seeing it for a second time, and her mind could only stick to the darkness of the shallow sea to the side. She felt pathetic for deterring from something because of her fear, and it wasn't exactly the chilly air and eerie feeling the cave gave off that caused such a feeling. Besides, it was quite a cold day, making the idea of a dark, cold cave sound even less compelling.